Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-07-06
was among the bushes.

"Boys, it's up to my waist and getting
deeper.
''Go on, sergeant shouted one Of the
paymasters. s'They'll be shooting at US
if they don't get an answer"
"Hurrah for General Burnsidev'
squawked the payn,aster's t'sc'S, in the
vague effort to let any supposed picket
know which side he was on, but severe
sternness from the farther end bade him:
'Shut Up! Haiti Come alongr
'1'm coming" shouted tho sergeant
''Friendi paymasterw
"Shut upi Come alongr responded the
threatening voice beyond him.
For full quarter OF an hour the SER
geant groped and foundered among those
bushes. Again he used strong language
very strong indeed, but not a soul came
to meet him, nor did another word reply
to his repeated request that the picket
should advise him US to what course he
should take.
The party on the hand car cowei under
the sheets and torrents and whole milk
ponds of falling water, and hoped that
there might be cessation of the light
ming flashes, so that any hiddon riflemau
would be less able to shoot straight
II give it up" said the voice of the sor-
geant at last He was only three PAGES
from the car, but was invisible.
''The boys know who we are" said one
of the soldiers, "and we can go on; but
it's an awful mean joke to play in such
rain as this"
There's something more than that in
1t, said one OF the paymasters. There's
trap OF some kind. Wen never get to
Morehead City"
"We'll go ahead anyhow" said the ser.
gcant. There's as much danger behind
as there is before"
''rm glad hurrahed for Burnside" re
marked the plymaster's clerk.
On went the hand-car into the watcr>
soaked darkness, and another milo or
more was rolled over before tho wayside
summons was sonorously repeated
'Quick. now, sergeant" said the senior
paymaster
''Don't know, Major" he replied THAT
fellows away in tho swamp. He's got
under cover. ! couldn't even find him.
Risk it'll Boys, risk It'll Run her ahead.
They can't hit Us il they do fire."
"Hali!" came warningly out Of the
blackness, as the hanG-car dashed for.
ward, and with it came thunder that
sounded like rattle OF muskotry.
''They didn't work taeir joke tais time,
Major" said the sergeant
There's more than that in IT." said tho
Major. "rm glad we're past this piclzet,
bUO IA ait 1iO VIC IO luIO IEOuDlG.
They may have surprised Morehead City
and the fort"
Reckon not. Major. Run her your level
best, boys. We won't halt again for any
body"
That WAS brave talk, but IN less than
twenty minutes he exclaimed:
'Hold on boys! That picket ls right on
the track. Stop her for your livesp'
They did so, as an ominous and men-
acing threat repeated:
''Halti Haltw and from the rear at the
same moment other VOICES seemed to say:
''Sot 'em! Got 'em, nowl"
Pm afraid they have" groaned tho Ma
jor, "money ond all, and we're on our
way to Wilmington"
mo use to hurrah for Burnside this
tlmc," squcaked the paymaster's clerk.
The sergeant ran ahead along tho track
until he missed his footing in the dark
and went of into the grimy depth of
water and black mud Just as somebody
said:
"Who's therel" and he was trying to
respond:
"Frieud, with the countersign."
His mouth had too much in for success,
and once more he used strong and very
volcanic expressions as soon as his vocal
organs were st work again. 1hoa we
heard him say:
"Come along, boys. There isn't any body
here, and the waters six inches deep over
the track"
1t was doleful mystery, and the chance
OF beng fired upon grew grimly enough as
the car was obviously urged forward.
The tierceness of the storm diminish ed,
and thus, with great gust OF wind from
Cape Hatteras, it ceased. More wind
came and swept away the clouds. The
moon came out gloriously, and at that
very moment the paymaster's clerk ex-
claimed:
'Quick, sergeanti They could see TO
shoot nowl"
Haiti Come alongi Got 'eml Got ,em
nowl Bullyl Better mounli Better
mountp'
That was what 1t sounded like, but the
sergeant eXclaimell
Abraham Lincolni II it doesn't make
five times that we have been halted by
those Confederate frogsW
In half an hour more we were all safe
in Morehead City. leaving the frogs to play
jokes on somebody eise.-N r Gra,aic.